The position of the circuit breaker operating handle in most industrial-rated circuit breaker applications is indicative of the ON or OFF condition of the circuit breaker contacts. When the circuit breaker handle is translated to the OFF position, the circuit breaker contacts in some instances could remain in their closed condition and hence the position of the operating handle, per se, is not a completely reliable indication of the actual condition of the circuit breaker contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,231 describes the provision of a viewing window in the circuit breaker cover for visual access to the circuit breaker contacts contained therein. This allows an operator to view the actual condition of the circuit breaker contacts independent from the location of the circuit breaker operating handle.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,831,221 and 4,912,439 describe auxiliary switch accessories used within industrial-rated molded case circuit breakers. The auxiliary switch accessories interact with the circuit breaker operating mechanism to provide remote indication of the condition of the circuit breaker contacts. The circuit breaker operating mechanism described within U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,263 includes a crossbar unit that carries the movable contact arm and provides an accurate indication as to the actual condition of the contacts. Although the operating handle may translate to its OFF position with the contacts remaining in their closed condition, the operating mechanism crossbar unit is not able to move unless and until the contacts are free to transfer from their closed to their open conditions.
The auxiliary switch accessory unit described within the aforementioned U.S. Patents operates directly off the circuit breaker operating mechanism crossbar unit to provide an accurate indication of the condition of the contacts.
One purpose of the invention is to provide a combined auxiliary switch-contact indication accessory for visual indication of the true condition of the circuit breaker contacts along with remote indication thereof.